Chapter Four : Gunshot Simile
"Then, like a shot from a gun, the Black broke down the beach."
Comparing the Black to a gun shot really emphasizes the suddenness of his movement and the incredible speed at which he ran down the beach. There is no warning to the movement in the same way that there is really no build-up to the shot of a gun. Once fired, a gun sends a bullet flying seamlessly through the air, which is similar to the smooth way in which the Black hurtled down the beach.
Chapter Five : flame simile
"Then as if by magic, a giant black horse, his mane waving like flame, appeared beside the boy."
The Black is not only a wild horse bit also has the appearance of being wild and totally free, so comparing his mane as it waves to flames emphasizes the incredible wildness, and overpowering appearance. Fire burns wildly and freely and covers enormous distances in a very short time, which is also true of the stallion.
Chapter Nine : Smoke Simile
"The stallion was nearing the end of the field, his pace never slackening, his long, black mane whipping behind him like waves of smoke."
Again the author compares the stallion to a force of nature, this time smoke, referring to the movement of his mane as he runs. This is similar to the simile used to compare his mane to flames in that the wildness of the horse is likened to the uncontrollable wildness of a fire with smoke billowing in waves.
Chapter Ten : Simile of Lightning
Another comparison of the stallion to a natural phenomenon, this time lightning which is a reference to his incredible speed and the fact that, like lightning, he is there one minute and gone by you the next.
Chapter Eighteen : Simile of the Burr
"No whip was used on him - his jockey was like a small burr lost in the stallion's thick, black mane."
This simile highlights Alec's small stature with the Black's huge stature. It impresses on the reader the incredible horsemanship that Alec possesses and also shows that Alec did not have to whip the Black to make him run fast - the stallion wanted to run fast himself.
